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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23778355">Shadows</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37'>evilwriter37</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Slight horror, Some Fluff, after morgana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:47:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,351</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23778355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire is having side effects from having been possessed by Morgana. She keeps it to herself for so long, but eventually calls Jim for help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shadows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Claire stared down at her homework, trying and failing to read it. She’d been at this for fifteen minutes, it seemed, and she’d only gotten one sentence in. This had never happened to her before. She couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>read</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The letters were being scrambled, over and over. She knew she didn’t have dyslexia, so this was another problem. Not only that, but her vision would occasionally blur and go white, like something was shorting out in her brain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire slammed the book shut with a frustrated shout, slammed her hand on it. That wasn’t the only thing that was bothering her either. She was seeing things, out of the corner of her eye: shapes, shadows, things that didn’t make sense and made her afraid to sleep at night. Because at night they would get her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew it seemed silly, but she had nightmares where the shapes came out from the sidelines and attacked her. She didn’t have her Shadow Staff, and she was totally helpless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing, she picked up her phone, glad that she only had to read Jim’s name to call him. She could do that. She should have told someone about this sooner, but at least she was telling someone now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Claire Bear.” Jim’s voice was cheerful. How was Claire supposed to tell him if he was cheerful? “What’s up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, nothing.” She laughed nervously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could picture Jim switching the phone to his other ear. “Uh huh. Really. What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some… stuff.” Claire sat back in her chair. “I don’t really know how to explain it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to come over?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that would be good, yeah.” At least with someone else around, Claire would be able to ignore the shadows. It felt like one slithered closer. There was ice in her spine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Kay. I’ll be over in a bit. Bye.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bye.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire didn’t feel as alone as she should have when she hung up and set her phone down. Darkness was gathering outside, so she quickly flicked on her bedroom light. Hopefully Jim would come in through the front door though. Her parents weren’t home and Enrique was with a babysitter, so there was nothing to worry about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She went downstairs to wait for him. She almost fell when her vision went white for a quick second. She caught herself on the railing, heart beating fast. It was silly that adrenaline could start up from something so simple when she’d done so much more dangerous things. She wanted to laugh, but there was a shadow behind her, so she didn’t, instead hurried the rest of the way down the stairs and turned all the lights on. The shadows hugged the corners of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire felt stupid for feeling so scared, but all of this was new to her, new and frightening. She felt like there was a constant, malignant presence with her, and like it could strike at any moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waiting for Jim was torturous. She sat in a chair, bouncing her leg, tapping her fingers, chewing on her bottom lip. Antsy was a good word for what she was right now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After what felt like ages, the doorbell rang. She sprang to answer it, was relieved when she saw Jim standing there, taking off his bike helmet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jim, thank goodness you’re here.” She wanted to hug him, but was afraid that the shadows would touch him if she did that. What if they attacked him because they saw that he was important to her? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Jim entered the house, closed the door behind him. He took her hand before Claire could pull back. Terror raced up her spine and she nearly flinched at his touch. No! They would know! “What’s up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire pulled her hand back, saw a look of hurt cross Jim’s features. Trying to ignore it, she led him to the living room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A lot,” she answered, sitting on the edge of the couch, Jim sitting beside her, much more relaxed, but looking earnest and ready to listen. “It’s been happening since Morgana.” The thought that she’d been possessed by a being so powerful and evil scared her more than the shadows and nightmares ever could. She was grateful that she was herself, that she was back, that her body was her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s been happening?” Jim leaned forward a little. His blue eyes were so genuine, and it made Claire relax a little. She was safe with him here. The shadows couldn’t touch her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I can’t read,” Claire told him. “Every time I try, it’s like the letters get all jumbled and mixed up. This has never happened to me before. A-and my vision goes white and gets blurry. And there are shadows.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shadows?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire nodded. She began pointing around the room to where she saw them. “And they’re always behind me too, right out of the corner of my eye. They attack me at night when I’m sleeping, in nightmares. I swear that’s what’s happening. I know it sounds stupid, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not stupid,” Jim said, shaking his head. He took her hand in hers. He no longer seemed to feel hurt from earlier. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to Trollmarket and see if Blinky has any books on this. He’ll know what’s going on and how to fix it. Alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire gave a weak smile. “Alright.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, we should do something to distract you. I heard the new Chad movie is good.” Jim kicked back his legs on the coffee table and grabbed for the tv remote.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire’s smile deepened. A relaxing night with her boyfriend was just what she needed. “Yeah, alright.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They kept the lights on while they watched the movie, which Claire was thankful for. The shadows only got darker and worse when the lights went out, became hulking beasts with teeth and claws. Cuddling with Jim and watching a movie, she was almost able to forget them and her problems… save for the times that her vision went blurry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the movie, Claire was reluctant for Jim to leave. She didn’t want to be left alone again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jim.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you… stay with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jim looked to her where her head rested against his shoulder. “Won’t your parents care?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not if they don’t know about it.” Besides, Claire didn’t want to do anything her parents would object to. She just wanted someone to sleep next to her to keep her protected and safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jim gave an easy smile. “Okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Together, they went up to her bedroom. Jim held her hand as he shut all the lights off on the first floor and locked the door. Claire was grateful for that. The shapes and shadows became worse, and she felt like she had to run up the stairs or they would get her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jim turned his back while Claire changed into her pajamas, innocently looking at one of the posters on her wall. Claire liked that he respected her boundaries and privacy like that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready?” Jim asked, turning back around to face her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so.” She looked frightfully at the light switch. “Do you think you could-?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem.” Jim went and turned off the light, then instantly came back to Claire. They went to the bed together, got under the blankets. Jim held her against him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are the shadows like now?” Jim asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire peeked over his shoulder, then instantly buried her head against his chest. Yes, they were scarier in the dark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Big, hulking monsters,” she said. “I-I thought I’d be able to deal with this. But it’s been going on for so long that I think I’m slipping.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Claire.” Jim rubbed her back. “We all get scared of things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claire closed her eyes. “But these are just shadows.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But they’re real for you. And that’s why we’ll fix it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Jim.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could hear the smile in his voice as he held her tighter. “Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That night, when Claire slept, the shadows didn’t attack her. She was free of nightmares. They knew not to come near her when she was in the Trollhunter’s arms. </span>
</p>
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